March 13th, 2016

13 March 2016

Hello Verdugo Hills Community! This is Dr. Trimis, principal of Verdugo Hills High School, with your weekly announcements. This Tuesday is a Late-Start Day.

There will be no announcements next week because of Spring Break. Spring Break is March 21-25 and the Cesar Chavez Birthday holiday is March 28. Students and staff return to school on Tuesday, March 29.

Friday is the last day of school before Spring Break and also when Term C Final Grades are due. Students should be spending time this week catching up on assignments and studying for finals.

Thank you for supporting all of our Spring athletes, artists and performers, and scholars at Verdugo as we continue our mission of providing the best in academics, athletics, and arts for our students. Please go to our website as well as Facebook Page and Twitter Feed, linked on the website, for updates and events at www.verdugohs.org.

This week we will have our Governance Council Meeting on
Tuesday at 3:30 pm, Coffee with the Principal on Thursday at 8:30 am in the Parent
Center, and our English Learners Advisory Council Meeting will be on Thursday
at 9 am in the Parent Center.

Congratulations to our Girls Soccer Team who won their game
on Friday to win the CIF
City Section Championship for the 3rd year in a row! After a 1-1
tie in regular play, the game went into overtime and ultimately our girls won
3-2. The team is coached by Matt Nicchita with assistant coaches Mark Woodhouse
and Tony Kasch. Captains are Danielle Gelsinger and Kelsey Sanford. The team
next plays on Tuesday in the first game of the CIF State play-offs against
other regions in California.

Please note that March 18 is the last day of Term C and is
also the last day of school before the week-long Spring Break and the Cesar
Chavez Birthday holiday on March 28. This is a good time for students to see
their teachers to see if any work needs to be turned in and if they are
on-track for success in every class. This is also a reminder that our credit
recovery program for Term C wraps up at Spring Break, so students should be working
on their assignments in that program on a daily basis. Lastly, student athletes
should also remember that the final grades issued on March 18 do determine
eligibility for sports.

Please be sure to go to our website for updates at www.verdugohs.org and go to our Facebook
Page and Twitter feed, both linked on the website.

·We
have a few important meetings this week. On March 1, you will have the
opportunity to see and speak with your new superintendent of schools, Michelle
King, along with the local superintendents from our local district, Byron Maltez,
and the local superintendent from the other district in the valley as well as
our school board member, Ms. Monica Ratliff, in a Town Hall Meeting at Pacoima
Middle School. I am also planning to attend the meeting which begins at 8 am.
More information is on our website and Facebook Page.

·This
Thursday is our Open House/Back-to-School/College Night Event from 5 pm to 8:30
pm. The evening will give you an opportunity to check in with all of the teachers
at Verdugo, see classrooms, listen to student performances including a
selection from “Hairspray” (the Spring Musical), and attend meetings for Gifted
and Talented Student’s Parents, the English Learners Advisory Council, and
meetings for both the Multimedia/Communications Magnet and Visual and Performing
Arts Magnet. We are also opening our doors to the community if you would like
to invite any parents of potential students! We are always looking to increase
our enrollment.

·Congratulations
to our Girls Soccer Team who are continuing in post-season games. Come out and
see the Semi-Final Game at Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES) on
Tuesday at 3 pm! Congratulations to our
new Dance Team who were 1st place in the Sharp Dance Competition at
Rosemead High School on Saturday. The team also won the judges award. And,
lastly, congratulations to our Color Guard who were 1st Place in
their division, outscoring many different schools across several different
divisions, at the WGASC Winterguard Competition last week at Ramona High
School. We wish them good luck in their season which continues at Monrovia High
School this Saturday. Ramona Link

T That’s it for now. I hope to see you at the Town Hall Meeting
on Tuesday and the Open House Event on Thursday. Have a great week.

Monday Night there is a PTSA Meeting at 7 pm in the Cafeteria. There are many student meetings and events each week at Verdugo. Please check our website as well as well as our Facebook Page and Twitter feed for updated information. Tomorrow, for example, are several rehearsals, practices, the first talent show audition, and more.

As we continue to focus and support academics, arts, and athletics, we are excited to offer so much to our little-big school in the beautiful foothills of Sunland-Tujunga. Please join us for our expanded Open House Event on March 3, beginning at 5 pm, and spread the word that we have openings for new students in both of our magnets, our School for Advanced Studies Program, and our excellent traditional Verdugo Hills High School program. We are proud to continue to offer more each year with fewer staff and fewer resources. You can help by referring students or making a tax-deductible donation through our website.

You should be receiving Progress Reports this week and Term B ends March 18, the last day of school before Spring Break. We are transitioning from Winter to Spring Sports and once again are proud of our Winter Athletes. Some teams have concluded their seasons and others are still in Play-Offs to City Section Championships. This week we have our first Home Track Meet on Friday, February 26.

Our arts programs are in full swing with many exciting events and activities the last few weeks as well as upcoming weeks. Our Colorguard won first place in the WGASC Winterguard Competition at Ramona High School Saturday defeating many high powered schools such as Granada Hills Charter High School. Our Writing for Musical Theatre class went to a workshop last week with Stephen Schwartz, composer and lyricist for “Wicked”, and our VAPA drama students are completing job shadows this week with the Musical Theatre Guild, performing “A Class Act” Sunday at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. Don’t miss the Spring Musical, “Hairspray”, April 26-30. Tickets will be available at the Open House on March 3.

Congratulations
to our Students Run LA Team led by Coach Mojica who ran in the LA Marathon this
morning! Congratulations also to all of our Winter Sports Teams who completed
their regular seasons this week and especially Boys Wrestling who had their
play-off match in Carson yesterday. We are moving into the Winter play-off
season as we also prepare for Spring Sports. See our website for more
information.

Did
you complete the School Experience Survey? Though the deadline has
passed, we can still collect surveys and it may still be available online. Go
to our website for more information.

This
is the last week of the grading period before Progress Reports are sent home.
Students should be sure to communicate with their teachers about work that
needs to be completed and upcoming exams.

There
is always so much going on art Verdugo, please be sure to check out website
regularly atwww.verdugohs.organd go to our Facebook Page or
follow-us on Twitter for timely updates.

And
now, a special Presidents Day Message.

George
Washington was born in February 22, 1732 in Virginia, USA and was a natural
leader, instrumental in creating a united nation out of a conglomeration of
struggling colonies and territories.Washington was the first president of the United States of America
and is affectionately honored as “the father of his country.” Celebrated on the third Monday in the month of February,
Washington’s Birthday is a special day for the young nation of the United
States of America.

Until 1971, both February 12 and February 22 were observed as
federal holidays to honor the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and
George Washington on February 22. In 1971 President Richard Nixon
proclaimed one single federal public holiday, and called it the President’s
Day. The Presidents Day is to be observed on the third Monday of February
each year and honors all past presidents of the United States of America.

Congratulations to our Academic Decathlon Team and coach Mr. Silva who wrapped up their season on Saturday with the Super Quiz. We are proud of all they did in ACADECA this year. Any students who interested in joining the team, see Mr. Silva this week. The team will begin preparing for next year’s contest in the Spring.

This week is Spirit Week at Verdugo starting off with Monday being Pajama Day and ending with Valentine’s Day events on Friday! Check the website and Facebook Pages for more information.

Have you completed the LAUSD School Experience Survey? It’s critical all of our parents, students, and staff complete the survey either by returning the hard-copy surveys that were sent home or completing it online. There are special incentives for high completion rates as announced in our morning announcements!

Lastly, here is an early heads-up on activities this spring you do not want to miss: March 3 is Open House, be sure to attend and bring a friend, especially 8th grade parents and students we want to talk to about joining us! Talent Show is March 11. March 21-25 is Spring Break. April 6 is our WASC Accreditation Visit. April 16 is Senior Prom. April 26 is when our Spring Musical, Hairspray, opens! You don’t want to miss it! On May 2, AP Tests start. On May 19, Smarter Balanced Tests start. May 20 is the Trashion Show. May 25 and 26 are our Spring Concerts. June 4 is Grad Night and June 9 is Graduation. The last day of instruction is June 10, Summer School is June 27-July 29, and the first day of instruction for the new school year is August 16, 2016.

We are already jumping in to the Month of February. Before you know it, progress reports will be sent out, final grades for Term C will be here and we are on the race to the end of the year! Students, be sure to stay on top of all classwork and communicate with teachers on a regular basis. Parents, please do not hesitate to contact your child's teachers if you have any questions. E-mail typically works best. Please be sure to check our website for upcoming events including activities, sports, arts, and school-wide events at ww.verdugohs.org. You can also check our Facebook and Twitter platforms both linked on the website. We will have a School Site Counciul Meeting at 3:15 and a Governance Council Meeting at 3:45 pm this week on Tuesday (Feb. 2) both in the library. Have a great week!

Take Care,

Dr. Edward Trimis, Principal

You can see this message and hear it on our website as well as Twitter feed, and Facebook Page, and our podcast page. All social media are linked on our web page at www.verdugohs.org.

As we move
into Week 3 of the Term, classes should be balanced and every student should be
in the proper class. If you feel there is still a program correction that needs
to happen, students should see their counselor immediately.

We always
have a lot going on at the Home of the Dons! I hope you will join us for a home
sporting event, concert, or activity. Be sure to check the calendar on the
website at www.verdugohs.org for all the
information you need. Most events are free or inexpensive. Highlights of our
Spring are the Spring Musical, the Trashion Show, and the instrumental and the
Vocal Spring Concerts plus Junior and Senior Recitals.

We have some
additional important dates coming up including: Open House on March 3; WASC
Accreditation Visit on April 6; CST Science Test for 10th Graders on
April 20, AP Tests May 2-13, Smarter Balanced Testing for 11th
Graders on May 18-19, 25-26, Verdugo Day May 27, Senior Prom is April 16,
Senior Grad Nite June 4, and Graduation is June 9. The last day of instruction
is June 10. Have a great week!

January 18th, 2016

Weekly Update

January 17th, 2016

A message from VERDUGO HILLS SENIOR HIGH

Tuesday is a late-start day and there is no school on Monday. Tuesday
at 3:15 we will have a Governance Council meeting in the library. The next SSC
meeting will be in February. We are in the second week of school and classes
should be balanced or nearly balanced at this point. Students, especially
seniors, should check their schedule as a double-check that they are all in the
proper classes. Though being scheduled properly is never be anything our students
should ever worry about, I would hate to have any surprises at graduation. I
will post the current graduation requirements on our website and also review
them in a special podcast in the next few weeks. And now a special announcement
regarding tomorrow's Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday taken from President
Obama’s proclamation this year.<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

With profound faith in our Nation's promise,
the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., led a non-violent movement that urged
our country's leaders to expand the reach of freedom and provide equal
opportunity for all. Dr. King joined a long line of heroes and vindicated
the belief at the heart of our founding: that humble citizens, armed with
little but faith, can come together to change the world and remake an America
that more closely aligns with our highest ideals.

Dr. King recognized that, as a country built
on the foundation of self-governance, our success rested on engaging ordinary
citizens in the work of securing our birthright liberties. Together, with
countless unsung heroes equally committed to the idea that America is a
constant work in progress, he heeded the call etched into our founding
documents nearly two centuries before his time, marching and sacrificing for
the idea of a fair, just, and inclusive society. By preaching his dream
of a day when his children would be judged by the content of their character --
rather than by the color of their skin -- he helped awaken our Nation to the
bitter truth that basic justice for all had not yet been realized. And in
his efforts, he peaceably yet forcefully demonstrated that it is not enough to
only have equal protection under the law, but also that equal opportunity for
all of our Nation's children is necessary so that they can shape their own
destinies.

Today, we celebrate the long arc of progress
for which Dr. King and so many other leaders fought to bend toward a brighter
day. It is our mission to fulfill his vision of a Nation devoted to
rejecting bigotry in all its forms; to rising above cynicism and the belief
that we cannot change; and to cherishing dignity and opportunity not only for
our own daughters and sons, but also for our neighbors' children.

We have made great advances since Dr. King's
time, yet injustice remains in many corners of our country. In too many
communities, the cycle of poverty persists and students attend schools without
adequate resources -- some that serve as a pipeline to prison for young people
of color. Children still go to bed hungry, and the sick go without sufficient
treatment in neighborhoods across America. To put up blinders to
these realities or to intimate that they are inherent to a Nation
as large and diverse as ours would do a disservice to those who fought so
hard to ensure ours was a country dedicated to the proposition that all people
are created equal.

"We may have all come on different
ships, but we're in the same boat now," Dr. King once said. As the
most diverse country on Earth, ensuring this creed is reflected in our hearts,
minds, and policies is the imperative of our citizenship. As Americans of
all races and beliefs come together on this day of service to honor the life
and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., let us pledge to
recognize the common humanity of all people, regardless of the color of their
skin or the station into which they were born.

LAUSD schools and offices, including Verdugo
Hills High School, will be closed tomorrow. Please spend the day off with
friends and family and you can visit www.MLKDay.gov to find Martin Luther King,
Jr., Day of Service projects.

January 10th, 2016

Good evening
Verdugo Hills High School Community and Happy New Year! I wish you all the best
in the Spring Semester and in 2016. This is Dr. Trimis with your weekly
announcements. Tuesday, January 12, is a Late-Start Day.

Moving into
2016, we have so much to look forward to! Always thinking about our three A’s,
Academics, Arts, and Athletics, we will not miss a beat as we continue with
Spring Sports this week (congratulations to our teams who played tournaments
over the break), as our various performing groups and arts classes are
preparing for upcoming festivals, competitions, and events, and as our new
classes get underway and we keep our eye on the calendar with Smarter Balanced/Common
Core Testing and AP tests here before we know it. Please be sure to check our
website for upcoming events. In the Spring we have the JROTC Military Ball, competitions
for drumline and color guard, the ACADECA competition, the Spring Musical, Prom,
Grad Night, and leading toward the end of the year and Graduation! Another
school-wide event is our WASC Mid-cycle Visit coming this Spring when we have
the opportunity to share all the progress we have made in the last 3 years since
our full visit.

As we start
a new semester and a new year, I want to remind everyone how much I continue to
appreciate the talent and expertise of our teachers and staff, the brilliance
and friendliness of our students, and the support from our parents and community.
We are truly lucky to have all that we have at our little-big school in
foothills of Sunland-Tujunga!

Take Care,

Dr. Edward Trimis, Principal

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